camp day!

If you are interested in supporting the Fresh Air Fund, you can make a donation through my personal page for the Half Marathon.

Today was a day I'd been looking forward to for a couple of weeks-- Camp Day!

As one of the runners who are on the Fresh Air Fund's team for the NYC Half Marathon, I was invited to go and visit the Sharpe Reservation where all of their summer camp programs are held. They took us up in buses, and after only and hour and a half on the road heading upstate, we were in a beautiful land of green hills, lakes, and forest, with views of the Catskills.

As we hopped off the bus, we were warmly greeted at Camp A.B.C. by a group of young girl campers singing and clapping and smiling. This was exciting already! We met up with the camp coordinators, and went on a tour of the camps.

Our first stop was the Farm. This was definitely my favorite part! They have a small learning farm where the kids meet resident and loaned pigs, goats, cows, turkeys, chickens, and rabbits, do chores to care for the animals, and also are taught how these animals are used (for meat, wool, milk, etc.). Behind the Farm, there's an all-organic garden that the kids harvest and taste from, learning how things grow, where food comes from, and practicing traditional recipes-- today they were making Iroquois corn cakes. The camps also source the majority of their fresh produce and dairy from local farms within 50 miles.

One of the things I was really excited about was how the entire reservation is almost entirely zero-waste-- composting and recycling nearly everything they use. This is integrated into meal times where each table of campers cooperatively and willingly separates their uneaten food and scraps into 'compost' and 'trash' (and they know the difference) and as a group, clear and wipe down the table.

After our tour of the highlights of the 2,300 acre property, we went back to Camp A.B.C.-- one of the largest camps on the reservation-- and were sprinkled throughout the dining hall, sitting at tables with the campers. Sitting down and chatting with the girls at my table about their upcoming talent show, how good of swimmers they were, where they're from, and singing songs with them as we ate our dessert, was the highlight of my day! (I was bummed as I left realizing I didn't get any photos of the campers! Was too busy having fun to remember to take any!)

It was great to see these kids learning and doing things they might never be able to do at home or school, and with nothing but green surrounding the camps, and big fields to run and play in, I wish I could spend the summer at camp too! When you spend too much time, or your whole young life, as many of these kids have, 'trapped' in the city, you don't realize how much good a little fresh air can do for you.

Touring the camps, it was exciting to see how the money I've been helping to raise (thank you for your support!) for this organization is being put to excellent use. The Reservation of five camps hosts over 4,000 low-income NYC kids from 9-15 for 2 or more weeks every summer, and providing summer jobs for many of the 'graduated' campers 16 or older. I felt really honored to spend a day at camp, sing songs with the kids, and see that the fundraising and running 13.1 miles is more than worth it.


If you are interested in supporting the Fresh Air Fund, you can make a donation through my personal page for the Half Marathon, or contact them directly about contributions, volunteering, and other means of support.

think less, do more: Get some Fresh Air this weekend!

While you're spending your holiday weekend in the country, at the beach, or in the backyard, think about all of the children who have never experienced life outside of the city.

I'm running the Nike NYC Half Marathon at the end of the month for the FreshAir Fund-- an awesome organization that for over 100 years has been sending thousands of low-income kids from NYC on summer vacations in the country to experience what it's like to swim in a lake, see starry skies, catch fireflies, and lay in the grass.

I'm really excited to be running on behalf of these kids, and you can support my efforts with a small contribution! I'm hoping to raise $1,310. And I'm getting there, but still have quite a ways to go! Whether you can give a lot, or just a very little, every little bit helps.

I would be honored if Stem+Leaf readers became a part of this magic.

My personal donations page: http://freshair.kintera.org/ajamarsh

Chef Aja T. Marsh News - June Newsletter

Hello Friends!

Summer is finally here and it actually feels like it up here in New York, and everyone seems happier and smiley, which is contagious! The Greenmarket is getting very colorful with the first of the harvest: strawberries, sugar snap peas, herbs and greens of all kinds, tomatoes, rhubarb, and new potatoes! I personally, am really looking forward to doing some canning and pickling this summer. I've never done it before, and I'm super excited about the adventure-- stay tuned to Stem+Leaf for those developments! (If you are an experienced, or aspiring, canner-- I'd love to hear from you!)

Canning and pickling are a just a couple of ways to stretch today's dollars into meals for the weeks and months to come. In the wake of the steady rise of food, fuel, and utilities prices, there is no better time to look into other ways to cut and reduce overall costs...

Shop at your local Farmers' Market
With exception to prepared and baked goods, I haven't noticed a big increase in food prices at the farmers' markets. Sure, prices often seem higher than at the grocery store, but they more accurately reflect the cost of growing food and help to pay farmers' a living wage. Market prices are reasonable, and you know what you're getting is super-fresh, and didn't have to be shipped across the country, or around the world, to get to your plate. Most markets can provide you with most of the produce you need as well as meats, breads, cheeses, milk, eggs, and condiments-- usually at a superior quality to what you find at the grocery store.
Don't know if you have a Farmers' Market near you? Check here.

Buy in Bulk
While prices in basic commodities like grains and beans may have gone up, it is still cheaper to buy in bulk than it is to buy individually packaged items. Most health food stores have a self- or assisted-serve bulk section where you can load up on basic pantry items, cereals, cooking oils, and sweeteners. Many stores also have a bulk beauty section, with cut-your-own soap, bath salts, and other body products. One-up it, and bring in your own re-usable containers (or re-use your plastic bags from the last time) when you fill up-- this will save you a step when you get home!

Re-use Your Bags
Plastic bags are produced with petroleum products, which we all know are in short (and expensive) supply. By re-using the plastic bags you've already accumulated, and/or using fabric bags to carry your goods to and from the market, grocery store, big box shop, or just for lugging things to and fro, you will help to decrease the demand for the plastic bags! And many stores even give you money back for each bag you re-use! For city-life, I love totes that have a strap long enough to hang from my shoulder-- makes schlepping around town with my groceries a breeze!
Check the right hand side of this page for links to retailers who sell reusable bags!

Carpool, Walk, Bike, and Use Public Transportation
Gas is now over $4/gallon in most parts of the country. I'm still pretty young and I remember when it was 99 cents. Driving less is one thing, but there is probably more you can do to reduce your use of gasoline-- which will help both your wallet, and the air you breathe! Look into neighborhood carpools, or take turns carpooling to the grocery store, etc. with friends and family. Plan your errands to be done in one outing to maximize your time. See if you can 'Park and Ride' to city destinations, parking near a bus route, and taking the bus most of the way. Walk or bike as much as you can, when you can. Instead of having to fit a work-out into your day, make your commute the workout by jogging to or from work or your carpool.


NEWS FROM AJA
I'm Running the Half-Marathon!
That's 13.1 miles! Continuing with my running streak, I'm competing in the Nike NYC Half-Marathon next month for charity.

I'm on The Fresh Air Fund's team and am looking for sponsorship-- anything you can give will help to send 10,000 low-income NYC kids on summer vacations in the country. This is a super-cool organization, and I'm excited to be involved.

I'm hoping to raise $1,310. Or, $100 per mile!
Though I think it would be great to raise a bit more- $1,600, which is the cost of sending one child on a great summer vacation. I would be really grateful for absolutely any contributions you are able to make-- every little bit can and does make a difference

You can donate online!
My donations page is: http://freshair.kintera.org/ajamarsh
(There are also instructions there for how to donate by mail)


ANNOUNCEMENTS, etc.
Now More Recipes: Keep an eye out here on the blog-- I'm gearing up to post a bunch of recipes, that will carry on throughout the next few months at least. Now that I'm moved and settling in, and the Greenmarket is so inspiring, I anticipate a lot more on-the-fly recipes to share.

Guest Blogger Opportunities: I am always looking for interested individuals to write guest blogs for Stem+Leaf about green and healthy-lifestyle related subjects, or maybe you have a great summer recipe to share, from your own perspective. No need to be an experienced writer-- just enthusiastic with something to say! Please contact me for more information.

Breathe in the sunshine and be grateful for the day!

think less, do more: the 10-miler

So, there will at some point be a blog up here about how I thought less and did more of something that wasn't running, but for the time being, the most obvious way I've been employing this 'think less, do more' philosophy is in running races like crazy in New York. (This is my 3rd road race since April).

This past Sunday, I ran a TEN MILE women's race in Central Park! Yeah! I'd never run ten miles in a row before. I was pretty sure I could do it (I knew I could run 8), but I didn't feel very well prepared for it, having worked out scarcely in two weeks. BUT, I not only beat my 'slow goal' of 1 hour 30 mins, but also beating my 'ideal goal' of 1 hour 20 minutes. I ran it in 1 hour 19 minutes and 13 seconds! I placed 133 out of 1341 runners. And since it was Mother's Day, I ran for my Mommy!

It was a lovely day for a run. Sunny with a nice cool breeze, and tenderly warm in the sunshine. Around the 7th mile, I spotted a couple of runners near me that I would drift in front or behind of every once in awhile. There was another woman in bright pink further ahead that I was gunning to pass up by the end. Well, I didn't catch the bright pink runner (she picked up her speed quite a bit), but the last mile and a half, I was in a pretty steady race with a woman who would speed up and run beside me every time I picked up my pace a little-- oh that was incredibly motivating-- I like a chance to be competitive on that kind of level! But once I passed the 9-mile mark, I surged big time and was on the move-- leaving her her in the dust.

Nearing the finish, through the din of my headphones pumping fast-moving jams, I heard a man who was running along side the route say (probably *not* to me) "You're almost there! Only about 400 meters!" Thankful to this man, I began my sprint, and channeled my high-school track coach's yells and gave it a powerful finishing kick. This part of the route was the same as a 4-mile run I did last month, so I already knew that the finish line snuck up on you after a sharp curve in the road. I finished in great time, and hung near the line for a minute until the woman who was giving me a good race earlier crossed. I smiled at her, shook her hand and we exchanged a 'great race!' with each other.

This run was a tester for me, to see what it might feel like to run a half marathon. I figured, once I'd run 10 miles, tacking on another 3 miles wouldn't be so bad. I'm signing up for the Nike NYC Half which is at the end of July. Let's hope I get selected (it's registration by lottery) and you can come out and cheer for me!

Here's me, moments off the finish line, feeling tired, but happy. (And with complimentary carb-refueling agents in hand!)



If you are curious about my or overall results, click here. And if for whatever reason, you want to see the rest of the awkward running photos of me taken by Brightroom at the event, just click here!

think less, do more: the 10k

This year I have made a vow with myself to 'think less, do more.' Because like so many of us, I have an ever-growing list of things I say I want to do, try out, or finally get to, and yet, somehow, those things never seem to get crossed off. I'm tired of it, so instead of contemplating how to figure these activities into my life, I'm just going to make it happen.

So that's how I wound up running this 10K last Sunday. I ran high school track and have enjoyed running off and on since then, and over the past few months I've re-emerged myself. Last year, I had good intentions to train and run in the Brooklyn Half Marathon, but my motivation waned before I got there and then I planned to run a 10K with a friend, but it never quite came together. And while it's no good to depend on someone else's interest to motivate you, at least with someone else you can motivate, encourage, and support each other, and I'm lucky to have found someone who's also fond of running and while we don't do all of our training together, we check in with each other regularly, and he was the one who, a couple of weeks ago, suggested we run the Scotland Run 10K in Central Park.

A 10K, or 6.2 miles, was within a reasonable distance for me, as I'd been running 4-5 miles at the gym a couple of times a week, and it's a pretty good race. I was really excited about it but as it got closer, all of these flashbacks of the rush and anxiety of competition from track flooded back and I started to get nervous. Participating in a 'fun run' has been on my to-do list for years, literally, so it was pretty exciting just signing up and making the commitment to do it. I just had to keep reminding myself that I was doing this for fun and not to put too much pressure on myself.

Race day came and it was a brisk 37 degrees, which wasn't ideal, but otherwise the weather was nice and sunny, there was a fun bagpipe band playing (The Red Hot Chili Pipers), and I was pretty jazzed up. I had my new iPod shuffle full of peppy tunes, and I stood towards the front of the line up of 6,900 runners (the front of the pack is meant for those running 5-6 minute miles...that's a couple of minutes faster than me, but it makes for a quicker start), and got off to a strong start and was enjoying the scenery of Central Park in the earliness of spring. The course had a few small, gradual hills, but was not too challenging, and I only felt tired a couple of times, and there even came a few moments when I thought to myself 'Hey! I'm having fun!' I wound up going about 20-25 seconds faster per minute than I anticipated I would, and finished in 1,435th place (what? no ribbon?) at a time of 48 minutes 54 seconds, which I have to say I am damn proud of, seeing as I just wanted to beat 52 minutes. High five!
If you are that interested, here are my full results.

So, keeping with the think less, do more spirit, I'm looking into a couple of upcoming half-marathons, and am applying for the Nike NYC Half which is in July, and participants are selected by lottery. My friend is now trying to get me to also sign up for the NYC Marathon. I never thought about running a marathon-- never particularly appealed to me. But I'm entertaining the idea, especially because the marathon is so hard to get into that you apply and participants are selected at lottery...which means I may get out of having to run it at all, ha!

So, stop thinking and start doing. That's my new motto. Try it out.

Enjoy some entertainment from the Red Hot Chili Pipers!